Birmingham, meet Wendell Major, a District 9 candidate for city council
ByJHDaniel
Reading time: 5 minutes
Whew, boy, District 9. This has been your time to shine here at Bham Now.
It’s time to check out our last interview of the week, featuring city council candidate Wendell Major. Yep, you guessed it. He’s another District 9 candidate.
Qualifying For The Election
Potential candidates have until tomorrow, Friday, July 7, to qualify for the upcoming municipal election on August 22. I’ll post an official list of candidates on Monday, so you’ll know exactly who’s running and who has dropped out. I also have more mayoral candidate interviews headed your way.
District 9 In Birmingham
Your current councilor is Marcus Lundy. He is not seeking re-election. Other District 9 candidates include: Eric Hall, John Hilliard, Roderick Royal, Reginald Swanson and James Williams. Links to the candidates we’ve interviewed so far can be found at the bottom of this post.
Communities And Neighborhoods In District 9:
For more detailed information about your address and district boundaries, please check out this link to the City of Birmingham’s online mapping website. Need some help navigating the map? Message me on the Bham Now Facebook page, (@bhamnow) and I will make sure you find your neighborhood and district.
Candidate Interview
When did you officially announce your candidacy and where/how did you do it?
“After extensive listening, visiting neighborhood meetings and other events where I heard from district residents, I publicly announced my candidacy for the Birmingham District Nine Council seat on 23, June 2017.”
What is the name of your principal campaign committee?
“The committee to Elect Wendell Major.”
Why do you want to run for Birmingham City Council?
“I believe restoration of public trust in our government is imperative and essential.
“Credible, stable, capable, competent and committed servants are necessary to achieve a greater public good to address the needs of our community i.e., crime, city infrastructure (roads and parks) and education and economic development for city residents and businesses.”
What is your background, education and experience?
“I am a disabled veteran of the United States Marine Corps, (with) 28 years as a law enforcement officer, currently serving as a lieutenant with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Technology Division in the Metro Area Crime Center.
“I am a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ National Academy, 262nd Session. I served as a mentor to the Afghan National Police as a contract employee of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, a division of the United States State Department.“I am an Alabama licensed polygraph examiner. I have been a member of the Alabama State Bar for 11 years—a graduate of the Birmingham School of Law, (as well as the) University of Alabama Birmingham, with a bachelor’s in criminal justice and history. I have taught criminal justice and paralegal studies at a junior college.
“I was a previous candidate for the Alabama State Senate, District 19, in 2013. I have served in the Jefferson County Citizens Coalition for a number of years, volunteering in a number of public office campaigns.
“I have been a member of Faith Chapel Christian Center, volunteering in the parking ministry for more than 11 years. I have volunteered in numerous events in the community to support individual growth in others in the community. I have been married for more than 26 years to my beautiful wife, Tawanna W. Major, with two adult children and three grandchildren.”
How will you foster a healthy, working relationship between the mayor’s office and the Birmingham City Council/city hall?
“I have a genuine desire to serve as a city council member in the legislative branch of city government and not a city’s executive.
“I will work to ensure that the city budget matches the desires and priorities of the city’s residents and ensure compliance with the council approved budget. I am looking forward to working with the newly-elected mayor to meet the needs of an efficient, effective and streamlined administration.”
How will you accomplish transparency with the residents of Birmingham, if elected?
“Transparency is key to character and integrity. The citizens of the community should know as much about their candidate as possible and trust that they will work for them.
“My candidacy is motivated by an authentic desire to restore trust in government officials that will incidentally work to uncover and expose all city activities to the scrutiny of its citizens who elected me to the city council and to those who did not as well.”
LINKS TO OTHER CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS
District 1
District 2
Lawrence Conaway, Kimberly Jeanty, Stephen L. Murphy, Kim Rafferty (incumbent), Jordan Thompson, Hunter Williams and Tyrone Williams
District 3
District 4
Cory Pettway, Robin Rains, Sergio Williams
District 5
Charles Ball , Dorothea Crosby, Darrell O’Quinn, Jeremy Schatz, Robert Walker
District 6
District 7
Titus Battle, Hosea Lewis, Lonnie Malone
District 8
Stay tuned!
District 9
Eric Hall, John Hilliard, Roderick Royal, Reginald Swanson, James Williams
